Willowdale

Willowdale began as a postal village (originally Willow Dale) which covered the area from Finch Avenue at the north to Elmwood Ave at the south and Bathurst Street at the west to Bayview Avenue at the east. The village of Lansing was from Elmwood Ave. at the north to approximately Hwy. 401 at the south and Bathurst St. at the west to Bayview Ave. At the east. (East of Bayview Ave. was the village of Oriole.) The north–south center line of both Lansing and Willowdale was Yonge Street. The postal village of Lansing remained in existence until the post office at Lansing corner (northwest corner of Yonge St. and Sheppard Ave.) was closed. When a new post office was built in Willowdale, the postal addresses of Lansing and Willowdale were combined as the new postal village of Willowdale, within the Township of North York.

North York City Centre is centered at the intersection of Yonge Street and Empress Avenue/Park Home Avenue and is commonly thought to be the core of Willowdale, as well as North York itself. Its high-rise residential and commercial development sets it apart from much of the rest of Willowdale.